Charles Malcolm Campbell Original Fine Art

1960, this extraordinary piece embodies many of Campbell's most respected qualities: vibrant color, figurative abstract, and balanced composition. Enamel on panel, this piece is in very good condition, just minor flaking on extreme right edge. The provenance and condition of this piece makes this an exceptional addition to the tasteful art collector of the midcentury/post-war era. In a highly individual style, he combined rich, vibrant color with elaborate textures and composition. His paintings --described as modern by conservatives and considered conservative by the avant-garde -- have their own unique balance of design. Charles was a quiet man who tended to make strong social statements in his paintings, some subtle, some obviously satirical, others full of fantasy and humor. A perfectionist (he has destroyed over two-thirds of his work over his career), he painted every day until exhaustion. His aim, he said, was to Express my vision of the world in the purest possible terms.

Charles was born and raised in Ohio. He received a bachelor's degree from the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art) in 1928. He tried teaching, but uninspired, he roamed the country traveling about before settling in New Orleans, then California, and finally Arizona, where he lived the last thirty years of his life.